By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
KEOTA – During the Dec. 11 meeting of the Keota School Board, Superintendent Dave Harper explained that Sigourney, who Keota shares several sports with, had requested Keota begin paying per student for the shared programs. Keota has shared sports with Sigourney for years, most notably the two schools’ shared football program, which has been shared since the late 1980s. As far as Harper and the board members could recall, Sigourney had never charged for shared sports in the past.
Harper shared an email he had received from Sigourney Kevin Hatfield, outlining cost estimates for each Keota student who plays with Sigourney, including $439 last year and an average of $383 over the past four years for football; $1,479 last year and an average of $1,397 over the past two years for wrestling; $242 last year and an average of $278 over the past two years for soccer; $517 last year and an average of $369 over the last two years for bowling; and $0 for trapshooting, which is self-sustaining. Harper noted that he thought the football average cost too much. Board Member Dan Redlinger stated he was surprised bowling cost more than football. HR Director Missy Sellers stated that the cost for wrestling was ridiculous.
Redlinger asked what prompted Sigourney to begin requesting payment. Harper speculated that they were dealing with a tighter budget. He noted that an arrangement like this was standard and done by many schools in the area, like Ottumwa. Harper stated that Sigourney wanted Keota to send back a proposal by January. He stated that a deal where, for example, a deal where Keota paid $200 per kid, regardless of sport, billed quarterly, and only for students who stay on the team for at least three weeks, would be fair. Board member Billie Kindred asked if these costs would change annually. Harper stated that they could try to negotiate a contract with a flat fee for three-five years, then renegotiate after it expires. Redlinger asked if revenue would be shared. Harper stated that, typically, gate and concession money stays with one school. Kindred asked if this money would come out of the Activities Fund, noting that that fund usually runs in the red. Harper stated he was confident this would come out of the district’s General Fund, but said that he would verify. No action was taken, with the board planning to discuss this more at the January meeting.
Also at the Thursday meeting, High School Principal Heather Rosewall stated that she had begun fundraising and recruiting high school students for the Space Settlement Design Competition, a NASA competition she had done previously when she worked in northwest Iowa. She explained that students would travel to Houston, Texas to work with students from other schools to compete to design a space settlement, figuring out the logistics of building, traveling to, and sustaining such a settlement. She stated that, if they won, the students would have an opportunity to go to the international contest at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida over the summer.
The board swore in new member Nathan Greiner. Billie Kindred was appointed as board president. Pat Hammen was appointed as vice president. The board decided against purchasing the vape detectors discussed last month, due to discovering additional costs like a lifetime ongoing fee and an updating fee of $3,600; Harper stated that he and Rosewall feel comfortable that they do not need the detectors currently and can revisit this in the future and possibly include it as part of a building initiative. The board approved increasing lunch prices, raising the student lunch price from $3.25 to $3.35, the extra milk price from 45c to 55c, the ala carte extra main price from $1.75 to $1.85, and the student breakfast price from $1.80 to $1.90. The board approved selling a truck and a tractor the district owns. Harper stated that the solar panels had been put up. Rosewall stated that the alternative program will begin next semester with five students. Board member Andy Conrad presented Elementary Principal Seth Milledge with a $5,000 check from the sports boosters, to go towards the new daycare. Milledge stated that the daycare is set to open on Jan. 5.
